District to raise money with school bus ads

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — By the end of this month, Sumner County school buses will display advertising to help build the district's school technology fund, NewsChannel 5 WTVF-TV reports.

After nine months of talks, school board members approved the initiative and selected a local marketing firm to head up the effort. Sixty percent of ad revenue will go to the technology fund, 40 percent to the marketing firm, and any surplus can go to individual schools, according to WTVF-TV. The district will not use ads for alcoholic beverages, cigarettes or tobacco products.

The Tennessee Legislature approved the use of color ads, as opposed to just black and white, earlier this year. The original law allowing ads on the back side of school buses was approved in 1997.